European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 2, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Once peaceful Bekaan Valley is a cockpit of violence Lebanon s Bekaan Valley is caught in the crossfire of Middle East hatred. By William National geographic the War in Lebanon plays on More than just him killing so cols o Beirut and Tripoli Tyre and Sidan ii reaches Inland from those coastal Olies 1o Cross Tho mountains an cast Down is in agcy on a groan and Fertile Valley called tha Bekaan in roman limes grand temples to Pagan Yods were erected in lha Bekaan militiamen now prowl Whoso rums one hears inc sound of Rifle fire and sees Holni of ordnance in inc Bright Mediterranean Sun Ghl there too terrorism is formula led for some of inc most engr co Lunda mentalist islamic groups Are headquartered in the Bcka among them is Hezbollah or party of god. A Loco widely blamed Lor suicide attacks Hal killed 241 american servicemen Narf 58 French marines in 1983 never More than 1q Miles wide along its length of 80 Miles. The Bekaan has become a crowded Encampment of participants in the Middle Eastern turmoil there Are palestinian groups militias Irani guards a Noci groups with no particular military Aff ipalion and syrian troops in lha says a u s state department spokesman the syrians control Iho main loads but to say that they control the Valley 15 a Gross exaggeration he says it was along one of Whoso roads that the Rev Lawrence m Junco. A roman Catholic priest from Joliet. I. Was Lour of walking one morning last july Howeiii released Aller nearly 19 months in Captivity. Having been kidnapped in Beirut by members of a Radical Shnte Muslim group he is one of the 10 americans kidnapped in Beirut in inc past ten years six remain missing they arc Iho Highl Lobo under guard m Tho Bekaan Valley. David Jacobsen. Duo Clor of american univ Ursiny in spinal Terry Anderson associated press correspondent and Thomas Sutherland of american University were abducted from the streets of Beirut last year. This september. Joseph Cicippio of american uni Cisily and Frank Rood principal of a in Volc school Vimo kidnapped William buckle a political officer at the u a embassy in benue is believed to have been killed by members of islamic jihad a pro iranian extremist group. Violence in Lebanon erupted in 1975 when cd Slian gunmen ambushed a Busload of palestinians in a suburb of Beirut leaving 27 persons dead and touching off the War that would devastate the Small nation before in reached ils 401h year of Independence the conflict was nol to remain for Long As a localized Mallef Between christians and muslims Alfier it became entangled in the whole Stu plying web of Middle East politics and Iho Bekaan where they raised a Muslim Siage of Christian villages. Later the syrians and christians would Battle among themselves. And so it was Hal Lebanon was transformed into a powder Keg of anarchy. By 1983, the Bekaan was ready to blow. Of Tho "10.000 syrian oops in Lebanon at the time about Throe quarters were in Iho Valley along with 7,000 palestinian he hers and untold numbers of radicals spin Lerud into pro Laqui. Pro iranian pro syrian and pro Nas Serite factions. Israel controlled the Southern Secli roof the Bekaan men As it does now. And israeli planes often came North to bomb and Strale syrians Are still there in heavy numbers in addition to their own troops sync the Plo pal Osline liberation organization groups now in the Valley Are Alt Arafat Plo chairman Yasir Arafat and pro syrian he says. But even with its volatility Tho Bekaan remains Page 16 the stars and stripes sunday november 2,1986
